Drapery hardware



Sept. 25, 1962 G. P. DEL FARO ET AL 3,055,420

DRAPERY HARDWARE Original Filed July so, 1956 2 SheetsSheet 1 I N V EN TOR. 60:0 a/v f? 051. Faea oaser i, MB M ([4 45: 4% Ca/wm Ay if M947 flu/Izzy:

Sept. 25, 1962 s. P. DEL FARO ET AL 3,055,420

DRAPERY HARDWARE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 30, 1956 a ma w M? w MMCH 5M n M5 05 Z4 62] United States Patent Ofiiice 3,055,420 DRAPERY HARDWARE Gordon P. Del Faro and Robert E. Moline, North Hollywood, Calif., and James M. Conaway, Union Creek, reg.; said Moline assignor to said Del Faro Original application July 30, 1956, Ser. No. 600,920, now Patent No. 2,980,946, dated Apr. 25, 1961. Divided and this application Mar. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 93,599

4 Claims. (Cl. 160-347) The present invention relates generally to the field of drapery hardware and in particular to a movable carrier that movably supports drapery on a traverse rod or track.

The present application is a division of our copendin-g application for Draper Hardware, Serial No. 600,920 filed July 30, 1956, now Patent No. 2,980,946, issued April 25, 196 1, and relates particularly to a master carrier which may be employed with the track and the side carriers disclosed in said co-pending application.

Although a great number of drapery traverse rod devices have heretofore been devised and marketed, most of them have certain inherent disadvantages. Most of these devices are liable to jam, particularly under the weight of heavy drapes which impose a great deal of frictional resistance on a slideable carrier as commonly used. The use of wheeled drapery carriers has heretofore been proposed to supplant sliding friction by rolling friction, but this solution has not been generally adapted because it has not been accomplished with an inexpensive, simple structure.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a drapery support having a traverse rod or track whereon are mounted wheeled carriers from which the drapery material can be suspended so that heavy drapes can be easily opened and closed over a long span without appreciable frictional resistance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the aforedescribed nature that can support drapery material in such a way that the material hangs in a uniform vertical plane without any apparent distortion thereof along its upper edge.

A further object is to provide apparatus of the aforedescr-ibed nature that is simple of design, rugged and economical of construction and capable of aifording a long and trouble-free service life.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof and from the annexed drawings illustrating that embodiment, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective View showing a drapery support apparatus useable with the present inventi-o-n;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical crosssectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial top plan View particularly showing a master carrier member of said apparatus and embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a rear perspective view of said master carrier;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of said master carrier; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings, the master carrier M of the present invention is useable with a traverse rod or track T in generally parallel relationship adjacent a wall (not shown). For each panel of drapery matetrack by any appreciable upward movement. be noted that the clearance between upper and lower snssazo Patented Sept. 25, 1962 tial to be suspended from the track T, there is mounted on said track a master carrier M, and a plurality of side carriers S. Each of the carriers M and S has means from which a fold of drapery material (not shown) can be suspended and master carrier M, in addition, is provided with means to which a pull cord 70 can be connected to impart movement to the master carrier along track T. The pull cord 7 0 is shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 4 and is adapted to be actuated from either end of the track T in the usual manner.

The track T is of generally J-shaped cross-section and can be of any desired length. Track T includes a rear wall 36, a lower wall 38, a front wall 40 of lesser vertical height than rear wall 36, and an upper wall 42 that overhangs lower wall 38 and is of lesser width than said lower wall.

The master carrier M includes a carrier plate 44, wheels 46a and 46b, and a retainer rod 48 which can best be seen in FIGURE 5. The plate 44 is formed from a rectangular sheet of metal that is adapted to have the pull cord 70 fastened thereto and to have an end fold of a panel of drapery material suspended therefrom.

The carrier plate 44 has a pair of pins 50 rigidly aflixed thereto along its upper edge portion, each of which is at an end of the plate and projects rearwardly therefrom. On each of pins 50 is a spacer 52 of substantially the same thickness as the material of track T. Each pin rearwardly of spacer 52 also has one of the wheels 46a and retainer arms 48 mounted thereon and held in place by the enlarged end of the pin. Each retainer arm 48 is pivotally mounted on pin 50 and is spaced rearwardly from plate 44 for a distance at least equal to the overall width of the upper wall 42 of track T.

At its lower end, each arm 48 mounts a wheel 46b in a position vertically beneath the upper wheel 46a. This construction is clearly shown in FIGURE 7 wherein it will be noted that the pair of upper wheels 46a are supported on the upwardly exposed surface of upper wall 42 of track T, with carrier plate 44 in slideable contact with the front wall 40 of the track. The retainer 48 prevents the master carrier from being displaced forwardly from track T, since the lower wheels 46b are brought into rolling contact with the underside of upper wall 42 of the It should wheels is normally greater than the thickness of upper wall 42. However, when the carrier is initially put into motion along track T, arms 48 will momentarily be pivoted to bring the lower wheels 46b into a rolling contact with upper wall 42. By this construction, sliding friction is the means used to prevent vertical displacement of the master carrier.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, there will be seen on the lower edge of plate 44 a downwardly projecting section 54 that inclines rearwardly to develop into a vertically disposed stepped back area 56 having a hole 58 formed therein. The hole 58 is adapted to receive a drapery book 60 which is thus suspended from master carrier M at a point located rearwardly of the plane of plate 44. The point of the hook 60 projects forwardly to suspend a drapery material in a vertical plane just forwardly of plate 44 whereby any distortion of the drape is prevented.

At its top center, plate 44 has an integral upstanding lug or post 62 and a rearwardly extending flange 64 in which a pair of oppositely disposed holes 66 are formed. A pair of oppositely disposed notches 68 are formed in opposite edges of lug 62 to cooperate with holes 66 in connecting a pull cord 70 to the master carrier M in a manner shown in FIGURE 4. The cord 70 is substantially full enclosed within track T in such a way that it will not interfere with the operation of side carriers S.

At both of its ends, plate 44 has a pair of oppositely disposed, rearwardly extending guide elements 72. The vertical spacing between elements 72 is slightly greater than the overall height of front wall 40 of track T which is accordingly loosely slideable therebetween. Plate 44 is also formed with a forwardly projecting stop element 74 at each end which prevents carrier M from overriding a side carrier S as will presently appear.

The operation of the master carrier M on the track T is very simple and is believed to be apparent from the foregoing description. A pair of master carriers M are mounted on the track T by being slipped on from the ends. A series of side carriers S are then inserted on the track in the positions shown in FIG. 1. After pull cord 70 has been threaded through hole 66 and around lug 62 of each master carrier M, drapery hooks 60 are then hung in holes 58 of the master carriers. Each panel of drape is then suspended from the hooks 60 with an end fold being attached to the hook carried by the master carrier M.

When the pull cord 70 is actuated, master carrier M will roll along track T. Thus, when the drape is being opened, the side carriers S and the suspended drapery material will be pushed along by master carrier M and when the drape is being closed, the master carrier will pull the side carriers S and the remaining drapery material along through the medium of said material.

While the form of the embodiment herein shown and described constitutes the presently preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adapted falling within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for supporting a plurality of drapery hooks and a drape supported by said hooks, the combination of: an elongated horizontal track of substantially J-shaped cross-section defined by a rear wall, a lower wall, a front wall, and an upper wall; a master carrier; means on said master carrier from which a drapery ma terial can be suspended; means on said master carrier for attachment to a pull cord; a pair of pins, each of which is rigidly connected to each end of said master carrier along the upper edge thereof and protrudes rearwardly therefrom; a wheel mounted in each of said pins, said wheels riding on the upper wall of said track to support said master carrier in slidable contact with the front Wall of said track; a retainer arm pivotally connected to each of said 4 arms to be positioned under the upper wall of said track, the spacing between the peripheries of said carrier supporting wheels and said retainer wheels slightly exceeding the thickness of said upper wall of said track.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for suspending a drapery material includes a downwardlyprojecting member that inclines rearwardly and is formed with a hole to receive a drapery hook formed therein in such a way that said hook will be suspended from said carrier at a point spaced rearwardly from the plane of said master carrier so that a drapery material suspended from said hook will depend therefrom to define a substantially uniform vertical plane.

3. In apparatus for supporting a plurality of drapery hooks and a drape supported by said hooks, the combination of: an elongated horizontal track having a vertical front wall and an upper horizontal wall flanged rearwardly therefrom; a master carrier having a horizontally elongated vertically extending plate, the lower portion of said plate extending below said track and formed at its lower end with a drapery hook-receiving hole; a pair of rearwardly projecting pins, each affixed to upper portion of the opposite sides of said plate; an upper wheel that rides on the upper surface of said upper track wall rotatably supported by each of said pins rearwardly of said plate; a retainer pivotally supported at the rear end of each of said pins, said retainers depending downwardly from said pin below said upper horizontal wall; a retainer wheel rotatably mounted at the lower end of each of said retainers and underlying the underside of said upper track wall to normally prevent said carrier from being displaced forwardly from said track, with acceleration of said carrier along said track effecting swiveling movement of said retainers relative to said pins whereby said retainer wheels are momentarily swung into rolling contact with the underside of said upper track wall.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the lower portion of said plate is inclined rearwardly whereby the weight of said drape tends to maintain said plate in a vertical plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,045,007 Carpenter June 23, 1936 2,117,606 French May 17, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 629,625 Great Britain Oct. 24, 1951 

